Safety knife structure for vegetable trimming apparatus



May 1962 R. K. DAUGHERTY 3,032,086

SAFETY KNIFE STRUCTURE FOR VEGETABLE TRIMMING APPARATUS Filed April 14, 1960 INVENTOR. RALPH K. DAUGHERTV A T TO/PNEVS United States Patent Ofiice 3,032,086 Patented May 1, 1962 3,032,086 SAFETY KNIFE STRUCTURE FOR VEGETABLE TRIMMING APPARATUS Ralph K. Daugherty, San Jose, Calif., assignor of one-half to Genevieve I. Magnuson, Saratoga, Calif., and onehalf to Genevieve I. Magnuson, Robert Maguuson, and Lois J. Fox, as trustees Filed Apr. 14, 1960, Ser. No. 22,331 2 Claims. (Cl. 146106) The present invention relates to apparatus for trimming vegetables of the type employing a safety knife structure which materially decreases the hazard in the use of vegetable trimming apparatus in supermarkets particularly in clean-up operations where the knife is not in operation and when the hand of the worker must be placed inside the apparatus in .and about the knife.

It is the general object of the invention to provide an improved safety knife structure for vegetable trimming apparatus.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved safety knife apparatus in which a guard substan tially entirely closes the opening into the apparatus and limits the extent of penetration of an object past the knife edge.

The above and other objects of the invention are attained as described in the accompanying specification, made with reference to the attached drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front elevational view of the vegetable trimming apparatus with certain parts broken away.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of enlarged character, partially in elevation.

FIG. 3 is an enlarged view of the knife structure shown in elevation from the side.

FIG. 4 is a front elevational View of the knife struc ture shown in enlarged fashion.

FIG. 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view taken in a plane indicated by the line 5-5 in FIG. 4.

Referring to FIGURES 1 and 2 there is illustrated a supporting frame or table on which a housing 11 is mounted, the housing 11 having a bracket extension 12 on which a motor 13 is suitably secured. The housing 11 is provided with a bottom discharge opening 16, and a side or front feed opening 17 which is partially closed by an annular diaphragm or guard 18 of rubber or other suitable resilient material held in place by a clamping ring 19 and suitable fastening screws 21. The motor 13 has a drive shaft 22 which is journaled in a sleeve bear ing 23 in the housing 11 and projects therein carrying a fly wheel 24. The shaft 22 is axially aligned with the central opening 26 in the flexible guard 18 which is defined by thickened annular portion 18a having a tapered or frustoconical inner guide wall 18b. The shaft 22 also carries a knife mounting structure 27 which is secured tot he shaft by a cap screw 28, and to the fly wheel 24 by another cap screw 23.

Selectively operable vegetable guide means are mounted for movement to and from active position with respect to the knife. The casting or housing 11 (FIGURE 1), has an apertured car 36 in which a guard and guide member 39 is pivotally mounted by means of pin or stud 41. The guard member 39 has a central aperture 44 surrounded by a conical extension 46, which, in the operative position in front of the resilient guard 18 is co-extensive with the larger central opening in guard 18 being concentric with the aperture 26 of the guard member. In operative position in front of guard 18, the guard member 39 rests on a stop 43 formed integrally with the housing 11. The guard member 39 with its aperture 34 concentric with aperture 26 of the resilient guard member is provided to give a continuous cutting operation for use with larger vegetable bunches such as celery, etc.

has been found that with leafy vegetables and tender stalks a continuous cutting operation is desirable. The above described structure is disclosed and claimed in the co-pending Sintetos application Serial No. 768,964, filed October 22, 1958.

The knife mounting structure 27 comprises an elongated arm or element 51 having a pair of mounting apertures 52 previously described, and serving to counterbalance the knife structure as will be apparent later. At one end the elongated element 51 has a. projecting arm 53 which extends parallel (when mounted) to the shaft 22 in offset relation from the axis thereof and at the outer end of this arm there is integrally secured a guard plate or disc 54 which has a pair of apertures 55 and 56 therein in alignment with the apertures 52 for access to the fastening screws. Also, an inclined brace member 57 extends from the plate 54 to the elongated member 51 is also secured alongside one edge of the arm 53 being brazed or spot welded to the other parts to be integral therewith. To provide a knife mount, the disc 54 is provided with a substantially radial slot 58 extending in from one edge thereof and intersecting this aperture 55, the edge of this slot is defined by a projecting rectangular plate portion 54a to which the end 53a of the arm 53 is secured. The slot defining edge of the plate portion 54a is bevelled to form an inclined seat for the blade 61, which is held against the seat by a wedge-shaped mounting plate 62 which is threaded to receive a fastening screw 64 which passes through a hole in the arm 53. The head of the fastening screw is accessible through an opening 66 in the plate 54.

It is seen therefore that the limit of cut of the knife 61 is determined by the extent of the spacing of the cutting edge from the front face of the plate 54, and the opening 58 in this plate provides for passage of material into the interior to fall through the bottom of the discharge opening 16. By virtue of this construction, the amount of cutting that can be performed by the knife on the vegetable is limited, correspondingly the safety of the apparatus with respect to accidental cutting of a person is materially enhanced particularly where the person is required to clean around the knife and its mount during clean up time.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of the invention, it will be apparent that the invention is capable of variation and modification from the form shown so that its scope should be limited only by the scope of the claims appended hereto.

I claim:

1. In a vegetable trimming apparatus having a housing provided with a discharge opening and a feed opening, a shaft journaled in said housing at a location opposite to said feed opening and having an axis of rotation, drive means for said shaft, a fly wheel on said shaft within said housing, and a resilient apertured diaphragm secured to said housing to partially close said feed opening; the combination of a knife mount in said housing carried by said shaft, said knife mount including a mounting element perpendicular to the shaft and secured thereto, a knife arm projecting outwardly from said element in offset relation with respect to said shaft, a circular plate carried by said arm in parallel spaced relation to said element and adjacent to'said opening and coextensive therewith, means providing a radial slot in said plate, a knife having a cutting edge, and means for securing said knife in overlapping relation with said slot and in angled relation to said plate and with the cutting edge projecting toward said opening in spaced relation to said plate whereby the maximum depth of cut is defined between said cutting edge and said plate.

2. In a vegetable trimming apparatus having .a housing provided with a discharge opening and a feed opening,

a shaft journaled in said housing at a location opposite to said feed opening and having an axis of rotation, drive means for said shaft, a fly wheel on said shaft Within said housing,- and a resilient apertured diaphragm secured to said housing to partially close said feed opening; the combination of a knife mount in said housing carried by said shaft, said knife mount including a mounting element extending perpendicular to the shaft, a screw securing said element to said shaft, a knife arm projecting outwardly from said element in offset relation with respect to said shaft, a circular plate carried by said arm in parallel spaced relation to said element and adjacent to said opening and coextensive therewith, means providing a radial slot in said plate adjacent said opening, means for securing said knife in overlapping relation with said slot and in angled relation to said plate and with the cutting edge projecting toward said opening in spaced relation to said plate whereby the maximum depth of cut is defined between said cutting edge and said plate, and said plate having aperture means therein providing access to said screw and to said securing means.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,511,464 Cover June 13, 1950 2,512,921 Daugherty June 27, 1950 2,681,674 Stahmer June 22, 1954 

